Upcoming Information Sessions:

Contact the Habitat office at
(307) 672-3848
to find out when the next informational meeting will be held.

FAMILY SELECTION CRITERIA

Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns is a Christian housing ministry financed through private donations and utilizing volunteer labor. Our purpose is to build homes with families and sell the homes at no profit and no interest to families who could not otherwise afford a home. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex or national origin.

Families shall be selected based upon three criteria: need, ability to pay and willingness to partner.

Need. Families shall be judged on need by their present living situation. The following observations should be evaluated by the home visitation team of the selection committee to help determine the greatest need among qualified applicants

A. Does the family have an adequate living environment based upon the size of family?
B. Does family have heat, plumbing and electricity that is adequate for the family’s survival?
C. Does the square footage match the family’s needs?
D. Is the condition of the present living environment adequate for the family?
E. Is the cost of the present living environment suitable for the family’s income?

Ability to Pay. Families shall be judged on their ability to repay a loan, provided by Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns, using the following minimum criteria.

A. The family’s total yearly income will fall within 30—60% of the county’s gross median income as reported by HUD. Steady income, such as child support and food stamps, can count toward a family’s total yearly gross income.
B. Families that can obtain FMHA, HUD, VA or other mortgage programs are disqualified from the Habitat program
C. If there are extenuating circumstances which prevent a family from qualifying for a more conventional mortgage a viable reason must be provided.
D. The employment verification, payment records from land lords and the credit report should show the applicant was truthful in providing information to Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns.
E. The credit report may not show any liens or judgments which have not been addressed by the applicant family.
F. The applicant must show good faith in their dealings with Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns.
G. The applicant should not have a history of over-extending credit and not paying.
H. There must be a viable explanation for extenuating circumstances which preclude an applicant from repaying on a negligent credit item.
I. The family’s monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 30% of the family’s monthly gross income.

Willingness to Partner. Examples of a Family’s willingness to partner includes but is not limited to the following examples:

A. The family understands the self-help partnership program.
B.
The family is willing to work on the homes of others and on special projects, fund-raisers, etc.
C. The family understands that Habitat needs every family to be an active partner.
D. The family understands the care of their home and lot is their responsibility and duty
E. The family realizes the importance of making their monthly house payments on time, every month.
F.
The family willingly provides the opportunity for the selection committee to make a home visit.
G. The family is comfortable with the implications of a highly publicized program and is willing to support Habitat in the community.

Please read the following items to determine if you have an interest in our ministry and if you meet our general guidelines.

To qualify you must have housing needs. For example: poor indoor plumbing, insufficient heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding, (three to a bedroom) unsafe or unsanitary conditions.

You must have resided in our service area for at least 12 months.

You must have a minimum steady monthly income that is based on 30% of the county’s gross median income established yearly by HUD. According to 2008 HUD statistics the minimum gross monthly income for Sheridan County is $18050 per year for a family of four. (HFHEB will work with these figures, the HUD Median Income varies with the family size)

Your maximum total yearly gross income for a family of four for Sheridan County should not exceed $56,700 per year for a family of four according to the 2008 HUD statistics (30 – 60% of the gross median income). See Application for further detail.

Upon your permission, Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns Family Selection Committee will verify employment and other income; verify checking and savings account balances; secure a statement from your current and previous landlords; conduct a credit check as well as ask you for credit references, which the HFHEB Family Selection Committee can contact to provide statements about you.

If you are selected and approved for a Habitat home, you must be willing to join in programs to learn and practice budgeting, home repair, and maintenance. You will be required to attend the Sheridan Housing Action Committee’s (SHAC) homeownership training. Please contact SHAC to apply for a scholarship. Child care and dinner is provided during the trainings.

If you are selected and approved for a Habitat home, you must be willing to work at least 500 hours of sweat equity for couples, or 250 hours for a single adult family. Immediate family members will be allowed to assist in achieving the designated sweat equity hours to be performed.

If you are selected and approved for a Habitat home, you will be required to pay a down payment and closing costs. The Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns Family Selection Committee will arrange for a savings account to be used for the purpose of setting aside a designated amount on a monthly basis to be applied toward the closing costs. The savings account will require 2 (two) signatures to withdraw monies, the Habitat family’s signature and a Habitat Board member’s signature. Any interest earned on this savings account will go directly to the Habitat family. You will be required to pay at least $100.00 (one hundred dollars) prior to the construction phase of your Habitat home. Your savings account needs to have $1500.00 prior to closing.

If you are selected and approved for a Habitat home as well as meet the sweat-equity, down payment and partnering requirements, then Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns will sell the home to you at cost. The house payments will include taxes and insurance. The house payments will be made payable to: Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns, and used to build more houses in partnership with other people like you. This requires that you will agree to pay monthly payments on time.

If you are selected and approved for a Habitat home and have any questions regarding any of the above processes or other related areas, you are then encouraged to submit written questions to members of the Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Bighorns Family Selection Committee. Your questions will be addressed during the regular monthly meetings and responded to in timely manner.

Selection/informational meetings are held as needed to begin the family selection process. Interested families that have contacted the office are notified by mail when the selection/informational meeting will be held. The meeting is also announced through the media. The selection/informational meeting provides a forum to assist families in filling out the necessary application forms. Families not able to attend the meeting may contact the office and receive instructions and an application to be filled out and returned within the announced time period. Families not initially accepted may reapply during other application periods.